Sunday, 28 April 2013

And There's More!

Spring, I mean. In my previous post I mentioned that we wanted to go to the gardening exhibition in the park. Well, it was cold, rainy and windy all day yesterday, so instead of going to the park, my Mum made a rhubarb cake (the first one of the season with rhubarb from the allotment), I grabbed the cake and my Mum took a bottle of champagne from the cellar, and we walked over to my sister's place, where we had a most pleasant "girls' afternoon".Today, the weather is slightly better, although still rather cold at only 7 Celsius or so. At least it is not raining, and so we have decided to go to the park and the exhibition this afternoon.Before I leave, there is just enough time to show you some pictures I took during the last week, to mark spring's further progress:

The familiar old view from my kitchen window, as seen on the 18th of April.Look at the buds on the branches of the cherry tree next to my window on the left - they are as good as ready now!

And while I was still admiring the view, this beautiful butterfly (we call them Admiral) landed on my window sill and stopped for a few minutes. He must have still been from last summer; it is too early in the year yet for the next generation to be out, I think. [Note: thank you, Mum, for telling me that it is not an admiral, but a peacock. My mistake, sorry!]Only five days later, and look how the blossoms on the cherry tree have developed:(This is another one for you, Kay - thinking of the post you did a while ago about friendship and cherry blossoms!)

He really is used to me talking to him now, and seemed totally unfazed when I zoomed in on him with the camera. (Before anyone wonders: No, I did not ask his permission before I published his picture here. If he'll sue me, I hope to be able to appease him with several tins of cat food and 100 brush strokes.)

28 comments:

Well, I don't know, that cat looks pretty smart to me, you better go ask his permission!!Oh, thanks for the cherry blosssoms! Perhaps YOU could start a Cherry Blossom Festival where YOU live!! I am FULL of good ideas! (Well, folks say I am full of something!)Cake and champagne, sounds like making the best of things to me! Happy spring to you. xx

O Spring has almost sprung, not quite though. it’s still far too cold but everything in the garden is working like made to catch up. If it weren’t for the shivers I’d be out there a lot more. But there’s hope.

Your kitty is so cute! We had a very short spring here...maybe one week, and we're straight into tropical weather, it's around 30 degrees (from 20 just a couple of days ago) On top of that it's terribly windy. It's always windy in Trapani but when it's scirocco it's really stuffy, and we've had the scirocco for about a week already, we're fed up! It seems though that from tomorrow it's going to rain so at least that will wash away this Saharian wind and it's dust. You can't imagine the dust...it seems hazy but it's really sand.

He's not my cat, Francesca, but lives with my downstairs neighbours.Oh yes, I remember the Sahara sand accumulating in small piles behind the front door - we found it in the house in Mirabella Imbaccari every year when we arrived there for our vacation. It came through every tiny crack in the wooden shudders or underneath the doors, and the place always needed a very thorough clean and good scrub before we could settle.

Ah, a rhubarb cake. What an excellent idea. Say thank you to your mum for suggesting it. I have been wondering what to do with some rhubarb I got the other day - I've had a crumble already and don't like to repeat myself too much.

I saw a red admiral yesterday - do you mean it is the same word in German? how interesting!

I cannot believe that I am nearly a month behind . I now have some real catching up to do. Mind you on the subject of Spring yesterday (30 May) I was working all day and evening in the garden in shorts - first time since leaving New Zealand - but today it's cold and wet and the mist was obscuring the other side of the valley this morning. It's an 'inside' day and I even have some heating on! It was good to see the Peacock. They are such beautiful creatures. It has to be 12℃ before they fly.